“I was sleeping when Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called me to announce that I was elected as Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain”, said the new Archbishop Nikitas.
In an interview to the newspaper “National Herald”, the new Archbishop spoke about his new Province, the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, emphasizing that “the truth of the Lord is not only for our race and our nation, that’s why we have a Seat in England and other parts of the world. The truth and light of Christ is for every human being and we have an obligation to preach this truth to this people”.
As Archbishop Nikitas says, at the hearing of his election to this position: “I had feelings of unworthiness and I told the Patriarch word for word: ‘I ask for your wish and blessing’. I asked the same from the priests of Mount Athos when they called to congratulate me, I asked them to pray for me”.
He also says that he expected that he would sooner or later be elected at a Metropolis, “but I did not hope that the Ecumenical Patriarch would grant me such a tremendous honor, because there are plenty of worthy Archpriests”.
Speaking of the new Archbishop of America, Elpidophoros, Archbishop Nikitas said “he called to congratulate me” and stressed that “he is a truly brilliant hierarch, young in age, creative, has shown what he has done in Halki, he is a professor at the University of Thessaloniki, a scholar” adding that “everyone should help and support him, including myself, even from afar”.
In concluding, the Archbishop of Thyateira said that “the new Archbishop of Australia, Makarios, called to congratulate me as well and I told him that we are now a triad that will work for the good of the Church, the People of God, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Nation”.